In rotation: 4/12/19

Alton, IL | Record Store Day in Alton stays loud: Jacoby’s Grassle saves live music on annual day of tuneage: …One of the highlights for the local music scene on Record Store Day has been the live performances at Slackers. However, due to the recent move to Alton Square Mall and the timing of Easter Sunday, live music on Record Store Day almost didn’t happen in the city. So Joshua Grassle, Jacoby Arts Center’s proactive plan-man, partnered with Score Records and Slackers to bring the first Record Store Day after-party, ensuring a home for live music in Alton on the annual day of tuneage. “Normally I help Slackers with live music for Record Store Day,” Grassle said. “However, they just moved in Alton Square Mall and won’t be able to have live music this year, and Score Records wanted to have live music but their space is small to have a band. So we decided at Jacoby Arts Center to work with both stores to put together an after party.”

NZ | Record Store Day 2019 Highlights: If you looked at every Record Store Day event on this Saturday 13th April all at once it would leave your head spinning, so we’ve done you a solid and compiled a few highlights of what’s happening across Aotearoa. For those of you planning a full day of it, don’t forget to give your finger tips a break every half an hour to avoid vinyl blisters – safety first. We’ll be out and about in Auckland on Saturday, and we’d love for you to @undertheradarnz in your RSD Instastories so we can share your vids, live vicariously, and pretend we jetted around to every event in the country. Get amongst it and support your local record store!

Youngstown, OH | Annual Record Store Day to take place Saturday: Record Store Day 2019 will take place Saturday at independently owned record stores around the Valley and around the world. The annual event was started in 2008 in the U.S. and has spread to the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Spain and Poland. The purpose of Record Store Day is to bring together fans, artists and thousands of independent record stores. Each year, a number of records are pressed specifically for the day. This year, Pearl Jam has been selected as the official ambassadors of the event. This year’s releases include 500 releases. Some of the releases include a special picture disc release of “Bohemian Rhapsody: The Original Soundtrack;” and KT Tunstall will release the re-edition of her 2018 album “WAX” called “Extra Wax.”

Mold, UK | Mold’s Vod Music gets in the groove for its tenth Record Store Day: Record Store Day is the one day of the year that unites more than 250 record shops in the UK and thousands globally. It’s a celebration of their independence, unique culture and the art of vinyl. Set up in 2007 to champion independent record shops, 12 years later it’s still going strong as it celebrates not only the businesses that have stood the test of time but also the new generation of shops who have just opened their doors. Hundreds of recording artists support the event by releasing exclusive vinyl records. This year includes releases from the likes of IDLES, Grandmaster Flash, The Rolling Stones and Courtney Barnett, with free live performances and parties also taking place up and down the country. “It’s brought me happiness running a record shop. I mean, I think it’s a dream job!”

Bartlesville, OK | NEW GROOVES: Record Store Day is dangerous, brilliant event: …At the end of the day, there are truly many advantages to the event. It allows fans to get their hands on some interesting and unique vinyl pressings. Furthermore, this supports independent record stores significantly, as the foot traffic is typically very high in those that participate. Typically, lines can be seen hours before, as fans hope to get their hands on their favorite artist’s new release. This helps those businesses, as well as gives a way for the vinyl community to grow, as attendees are able to meet other music fanatics. The ultimate advantages do outweigh the negatives, but ignoring the sheer price markup is impossible. The closest stores to the Bartlesville area are located in Tulsa. Those stores that get these exclusive releases and participate in the festivities of the day are Blue Moon Discs, Josey’s Records, Spinster Records and Starship Records. Each have their own sales or events happening through the day.

Rochester, MN | A record year for Rochester record stores: Thirteen is your lucky number. At least it is if you dig the crisp sound of a needle dropping on glistening vinyl. The 13th of April is Record Store Day (RSD), and it’s time for Rochester’s record heads to hit the groove. The event, founded in 2008, celebrates “the culture of the independently owned record store.” Though it was launched in the U.S., there are now RSD events in at least eleven other countries, including Poland and Japan. Rochester record offerings have expanded this year, and at least three area stores are celebrating the event. Two opened up in quick succession this January and February. In the famous words of the British eighties pop Rockers Dead or Alive, the changes in the local record store landscape are enough to “spin me right round, baby. Right round like a record, baby.”

Glasgow, UK | Record Store Day: A new release of life for music fans: Record Store Day is this Saturday, with shops around Scotland celebrating the community spirit of independent record shop culture. More than 500 new records will be released on the big day, with some shops extending opening hours to deal with demand. Monorail in Glasgow presents a free all-ages day of live music from 2pm, with guests including Rise Kagona (ex-Bhundu Boys), Wet Look, riot grrrl duo Bratakus, Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert and the debut performance from Lead Sister, aka Adele Bethel from Sons and Daughters. At Love Music, also in Glasgow, the live music starts at 2.30pm with Fallen Arches, followed by an acoustic Glasvegas set from James and Robert Allan. The live music continues throughout the day with further guests including Adam Smith and The Hector Collectors, funk band Tom McGuire and The Brassholes and “surf psych rockabilly craziness” from The Beat Poets, The Bikini Bottoms and The Brothel Corpse Trio.

Walla Walla, WA | Hot Poop Celebrates Record Store Day: Hot Poop will join forces and lock tonearms in solidarity with independent record stores and worldwide music fans in celebrating the twelfth annual International Record Store Day this Sat., April 13 with an in-store performance by Diego and The Detonators at 2 p.m. Diego Romero studied music at McLoughlin High School in Milton-Freewater, Ore. and is a star graduate of the Walla Walla Symphony Free Rock Camp program. He provides vocals and lead guitar for the blues rock band. The Detonators are drummer Mike Hammond and seasoned bass player Walt Ponti. Occasionally, the band brings in a horn, also played by Romero. The event is free for all ages and music lovers will find discounts on limited edition albums from both independent and major record labels and various promotional products made exclusively for the day. Festivities include a performance and a meet & greet with the artists.

Lubbock, TX | Record Store Day coming to Ralph’s Records April 13th with rare vinyl, sales, & more! Record Store Day is a celebration of independent local record stores- and our Ralph’s Records (3322 82nd) is taking the day to the next level. Not only will you have access to many of the uber rare, incredibly limited titles on the Record Store Day release list, they are also have sales throughout the store and the first 50 customers get surprise goodie bags. For more information, or to let them know you’re coming, head over to the Facebook Event Page.

Tasmania, AU | North-West record stores The Emporium and Collector’s Corner celebrate Record Store Day: Audiophiles and music aficionados will have a chance to get their hands on recorded history this Saturday. Record Store Day is an international event celebrating the culture of the independently owned record store, and two North-West sellers are again taking part. The Emporium in Sheffield is making a day of the event, celebrating with giveaways, limited edition records and special releases. Burnie store Collector’s Corner will also have a selection of rare and one-off releases available for sale on the day. “This is where we celebrate the beauty of black platters of vinyl that gave us such an aural sensation,” Mr Beach-Ross said. “Without music all you’ve got is the thoughts in your head – which, personally, are sometimes quite horrific. “If one listens to quality music on a good stereo system, the stereosonic sounds and the moving waves that the artist has created in a studio affecting us all in a visceral way.”

Fargo, ND | Vinyl is back with a vengeance: Record Store Day has become an enormous influence on every aspect that goes into the sale of vinyl records – independent record stores, their customers, and the artists – and has in large part contributed to the vinyl revival, which is not a small feat in the digital age. In fact, 2018 saw Sony’s first production of vinyl records in-house since 1989. In addition to Record Store Day’s impact on the vinyl revival worldwide (it’s celebrated in every continent besides Antarctica), it’s a great way to support independent local businesses and artists. “Fargo-Moorhead has always had an incredibly strong music scene and record stores have always played an important role in that. Record Store Day helps keep stores like Mother’s relevant so we can continue to do what we can to support local music,” Brady Bredell, owner of Mother’s, said. “I absolutely love hosting local artists at Mother’s on Record Store Day…”

AU | Record Store Day around the country: Melbourne’s Rocksteady Records: It’s that time of year, folks; Record Store Day. The time when music fans and vinyl-lovers descend upon their local music store for their annual day of exclusive releases. Having first kicked off back in 2008, Record Store Day has fast become something of an international holiday on the music-lover’s calendar. With plenty of special releases hitting the shelves, vinyl fans and collectors come together to hit up independent stores around the world in hopes of finding this year’s most sought-after record. Of course, we’ve already seen the annual list of special releases coming out on April 13th, so the question remains; what are Aussie retailers doing this year? With Record Store Day just around the corner, we’ve spoken to record store owners all across the country, and in this edition, we’re chatting to Pat Monaghan of Rocksteady Records in Melbourne to find out more about the store, and what’s on offer this year.

Tampa Bay, FL | The rebirth of Daddy Kool leads Tampa Bay’s Record Store Day agenda: In case you missed it, the big news for Tampa Bay’s Record Store Day is the rebirth of Daddy Kool Records, which finally fell victim to rising rents on the formerly undesirable 600 Block. The shop — which had a presence in downtown St. Petersburg for the better part of three decades — is reopening its new digs in the Warehouse Arts District (2430 Terminal Dr. S.) on Saturday. “We are very fortunate to have landed where we did,” store manager Manny Kool told CL when asked about the shop’s new home. “The owners of the building support the arts [and] are community focused.” Daddy Kool’s move, combined with the closure of live music venue Fubar, means that the 600 Block has officially gone silent until State Theatre completes an ongoing renovation, but Kool and his staff have moved on and will celebrate Record Store Day 2019 by teaming up with Reverb LP to stash a holy grail album in its dollar bin.

Essesx, UK | Top 5 indie record stores in south Essex as Record Store Day approaches: Record Store Day is coming up this Saturday – April 13 – and hundreds of shops all over the UK are getting involved by celebrating with a programme of music, performed live or DJ’d, by local musicians and well known faces. Special vinyl releases are made exclusive for the day and thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar. Sandra Bennett, proprietor of Fives Records, Leigh, told the Echo the annual event has really helped independent stores, and is now the busiest single day of the year for them, even surpassing Christmas Eve. We asked some of the local music buying public which was their favourite independent record store. As well as championing their preferred haunt, record shop lovers were also keen to give a nod to shops of the past, namely Gumby’s Records, which used to be in York Road Market, Southend. Here were the top five (still standing) local shops:

Mentor, OH | Record Store Day proves an annual celebration of music and independent shops in Lake County: Get ready to get the turntables spinning as record shops across the country will be celebrating the industry’s annual Record Store Day on April 13. Record Store Day features exclusive album releases that are not typically available. This includes reissues, rarities, and surprise recordings from artists across a wide variety of genres. The limited printings for many of the Record Store Day offerings speaks to the exclusivity that surrounds the event. Wide offerings from the numerous record labels can make it difficult predicting what customers will be looking for. “It’s built up every single year,” explained Greg Beaumont of Mentor’s Record Den. “We didn’t know what to expect the first year. Every year is a learning curve. Sometimes you’ll go over, sometimes under. You run that risk every year when you spend $60,000 to $80,000 in non-returnable merchandise.”

Winsford, UK | Electric Church prepare for ‘busiest day of the year’ as Record Store Day approaches: …Electric Church celebrated its first Record Store Day last year and the owner, Jimi Coppack, cannot wait to do it all again. Jimi said: “This is going to be considerably bigger than last year, I have bands on from 2.30pm until 9.30pm. We have a much bigger record selection available as well. “I know my customer base a lot better as well. Last year some records did not sell as well as I had hoped.” This year Jimi has arranged for a number of bands to perform in the shop including The Luka State, The King’s Pistol, Turbulence, Bobby Peru and more. Record Store Day is standout event in the calendar of any record collector and Jimi believes that it is one of the most important days of the year for any independent record store. Jimi said: “I am very excited for it but I am quite nervous as well. It is like Christmas for record collectors.”

London, UK | Phonica returns for its annual Record Store Day party in London: London record shop Phonica is back to host its Record Store Day soiree this Saturday 13th April. Running in association with Junction 2 festival and a soundsystem provided by TPI – the shop will have DJs and live acts upstairs and in the basement. Though the line-up isn’t released until the day itself (previous years have included sets from Black Madonna, Gilles Peterson and KiNK) trust that 2019 is not to be missed. Phonica’s Record Store Day events kick off at 9am, with sets from 12pm – at 51 Poland Street W1F 7LZ. The shop will also host a RSD afterparty with Artwork alongside Phonica residents, with tickets on-sale now.

Sunderland, UK | Record Store Day 2019: Sunderland music shop prepares for its biggest day of the year: One of Sunderland’s independent record stores is preparing for its busiest day of the year on Saturday as is takes part in Record Store Day 2019. It’s the one day in the year when independent record shops around the UK come together to celebrate their culture. Hundreds of special vinyl releases are produced exclusively for the day, and many of them become instant collectors’ items as they’re produced in such limited numbers. Marty Yule, owner of Hot Rats Records in Stockton Road, Sunderland, is taking part in Record Store Day (RSD) for the ninth time in its 11-year history. “It’s our busiest day of the year by far – 10 times busier than Christmas or any other day – and it gets better every year,” he says. “There’s a huge number of releases this time, more than 700 in total, which is far too many for a shop like us to stock.

San Antonio, TX | A Texas spin on Record Store Day: A dozen years after it started, Record Store Day doesn’t quite feel like a desperate act of gathering sandbags before a flood. While the music business as we knew it morphed into an entirely different entity, the brick-and-mortar music retailers that endured a long sales winter have started to see some signs of new growth. Basically, they’ve stuck to what they do best — selling physical copies of music to the people who want it — and stayed away from a lot of the more volatile fare that listeners find instead on streaming services. So as has grown customary in mid-April, a wall of small-batch vinyl shows up at local retailers and is largely snapped up by eager listeners. The mix of music is a something-for-everyone grab bag, with all manner of vinyl pressings old and new and old-new.

Champaign-Urbana, IL | Your guide to Record Store Day 2019: It’s that time again: Record Store Day is coming up Saturday April 13th. There are multiple record stores around town to satisfy your vinyl needs this year, and there will be some solid performances throughout the day as well. Check out the guide below for a look at your options… See You CD & Vinyl: This year is See You’s first RSD in its new location at 208 W Main St in Urbana. They share the space with Cafe&Co, and want to spread the word that the line for RSD should form in the back of the building, at the main entrance to See You, in the alley they share with Courier Cafe. Their event page has specific directions on how to access this entrance from any direction. They’ll have 150+ RSD exclusives for sale, not to mention over 100 restocks, and coffee and donuts for the early birds. The shop will open at 7 a.m.

Tulsa, OK | Pop culture: Leon Russell, Woody Guthrie records due on Record Store Day: Two records that should be of interest to music lovers in Tulsa will be among offerings during Record Store Day 2019. Leon Russell: Live at Gilley’s will be released on vinyl for the first time, according to historian Steve Todoroff. The album was recorded during a 1981 concert at Mickey Gilley’s nightclub in Pasadena, Texas, and was previously released on CD. Tulsa is the home of the Woody Guthrie Center. A four-song Guthrie tribute EP (I Don’t Like the Way This World’s A-Treatin’ Me) is being released in conjunction with Record Store Day, which is Saturday, April 13. The tribute EP will feature a rare Guthrie demo plus Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Harvey (with Ani DiFranco and Tom Morello) and U.S. Elevator. For Tulsa-area Record Store Day locations, go to recordstoreday.com.

Jerome, AZ | Puscifer the Store welcomes Carina Round for Record Store Day performance April 13: Puscifer the Store, an eclectic retailer of new and used vinyl, will host British singer and songwriter Carina Round for a special in-store performance on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 13, 3 p.m. Puscifer the Store islocated at 140 Main St., Jerome. The live set by Round will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the vinyl debut of her “Things You Should Know” Extended Play (EP) album. Admission to the live performance is free and guests will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Capacity in the space will be limited, so guests are encouraged to arrive at the store early. Before and after Round’s set, guests will be able to purchase albums and other Puscifer-branded merchandise, and take advantage of the store’s other services such as the Barbifer traditional barber station and Four Eight Wineworks Arizona wine and beer bar in the back of the store.

Myrtle Beach, SC | Limited edition vinyl available this Saturday at record store in Myrtle Beach: This weekend you have the chance to buy limited edition vinyl. National Record Store Day is Saturday, April 13, and you can snag unique albums created specifically for the event. The annual celebration helps support independently owned record stores, like Kilgor Trouts Music and More in Myrtle Beach. “Every year it’s getting busier and busier and our reputation is growing for our variety that we offer and for what I bring in for Record Store Day,” said Gary Finkenbiner, owner of Kilgor Trouts. Kilgore Trouts is at 702 8th Ave North in Myrtle Beach. It opens at 11 a.m. Saturday, but the line to get in will likely start at 9 a.m.

Midland, MI | Live music, giveaways, surprises cued up for Record Store Day 2019: Radio Wasteland Records, Midland’s only independent record store, will celebrate Record Store Day 2019 with live music, giveaways, and special releases including the RSD exclusive three-inch turntable. Doors will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, giving vinyl junkies a jump on getting their hands on hundreds of Record Store Day exclusive releases. One of the special items released that day is a three-inch turntable by Crosley which retails for $70. There are also special records available to play on the RSD mini, which can to be purchased separately. Mio kicks off an afternoon of live performances. The Midland native will perform an acoustic mixture of original and popular music beginning at 12:30 p.m. Then at 2:30 p.m., back for his third record store day appearance is Brett Mitchell. The popular performer will also play some crowd favorites along with his original music. Customers at Radio Wasteland who attend Mio and Brett’s performance will have the chance to win a copy of Greta Van Fleet’s Anthem of the Peaceful Army on yellow vinyl. Customers must be present to win.

Ontario, CA | Record Store Day set for Saturday: As an independent record store owner in Southwestern Ontario, what do you enjoy most about the Record Store Day festivities?Mike Todd, Speed City Records in London at 294 Springbank Dr.: “The traffic. The amount of people that come in, especially new and old familiar faces. It’s an outing. I’ll get entire families coming in, which is kind of neat because everyone’s having fun.” Doug Marsh, The Record Works in Woodstock at 399 Dundas St.: “The exposure we get because people assume record stores are dinosaurs, but the reality is there’s still a lot of good stores around. It’s a big part of our culture, so people are still loving the physical format. Vinyl’s made a real resurgence. It’s getting better every year. Justin Chasty, Odyssey Records in London at 613 Dundas St.: “It’s what a record store should be like. It helps bring a lot more attention to the hands-on shopping experience. A day like Record Store Day brings people out who don’t normally come out and want to be part of it. That’s a big part in getting the community together. … Having exclusive vinyl can also be really exciting for people. It’s a good day for everyone…”

Arlington, VA | Break out the Tie-Dye and Craft Beer This Saturday—It’s Record Store Day: Local vinyl shops are spinning tracks, pouring brews and doling out freebies for the annual music event. As Zoolander‘s Mugatu would perhaps be the first to remind us, vinyl’s so hot right now. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, revenue from U.S. vinyl sales in 2018 hit $419 million, its highest level in more than 30 years. And a search for #vinyl on Instagram yields some 19 million results. This is all pretty great news for local vinylphiles, and so is the 12th annual Record Store Day on April 13. The quasi holiday includes a lengthy list of limited-edition vinyl releases and related events, and these area stores are getting in on the action…

Talent, OR | Celebrating Record Store Day on April 13–Biscuits & Vinyl in Talent: Thanks to the inauguration of Record Store Day in 2008, vinyl has enjoyed a renaissance in popularity and in sales around the world. Record sales have been up, consumers have a desire to listen to music on a record player again, and vinyl pressings are becoming more and more exciting. Not long ago, opening a record store would sound outrageous. Today, however, new record stores have found a strong audience of people rifling through stacks of records old and new. In November of 2017 Biscuits & Vinyl opened its doors in Talent. Biscuits & Vinyl Owner Matt Farrington says simply working at a record store was a childhood dream of his. When he had the opportunity to move to the Rogue Valley, he decided now was a good time to open his own shop. “It’s a place for people to discover new music and/or reconnect with music they love,” he says about Biscuits & Vinyl.

Miami, FL | South Floridians To Celebrate Vinyl At ‘Record Store Day’ Events Saturday: South Floridians will line up at record stores across the region Saturday in celebration of Record Store Day. The annual retail holiday started more than a decade ago and draws many to their independent local stores across the world. Miami record store owner Lolo Reskin says vinyl records are “the enduring physical format for music.” Her store, Sweat Records, will be hosting all-day festivities in Miami Saturday, as will Shawn Kayes’ store Radio-Active Records in Fort Lauderdale. Along with DJs and bands playing at the party, Radio-Active Records will host a panel discussion about the future of vinyl. Reskin and Kayes joined Sundial to talk about Record Store Day and the vinyl music industry in South Florida.